Évora Açorda Alentejana

Ingredients

• •Stale bread
• •Garlic
• •Fresh coriander
• •Olive oil
• •Egg
• •Water
• •Salt
• •Bay leaf

Steps

1. 1Crush garlic cloves with a pinch of salt in a large mortar until a smooth paste forms.
2. 2Add a generous handful of fresh coriander leaves to the mortar and continue pounding until the mixture turns into a fragrant green paste.
3. 3Transfer the paste to a large bowl and stir in a good glug of olive oil, working it together with a wooden spoon.
4. 4Tear stale bread into rough chunks and set them into the bowl on top of the garlic and coriander paste.
5. 5Bring water seasoned with a bay leaf and a pinch of salt to a rolling boil in a separate pot.
6. 6Pour the boiling water over the bread and paste, then stir vigorously so the bread breaks down and thickens the mixture into a rustic, porridge-like consistency.
7. 7Poach eggs gently in a separate pot of barely simmering water for about three minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks stay soft.
8. 8Ladle the açorda into shallow bowls and top each portion with a poached egg.
9. 9Drizzle with a little more olive oil and scatter extra coriander leaves over the top before serving immediately while still hot.